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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28426389">Prince Technoblade</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffy_mittens/pseuds/fluffy_mittens'>fluffy_mittens</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Parent Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Prince Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Rebellion, Toby Smith | Tubbo and TommyInnit are Siblings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:20:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,373</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28426389</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffy_mittens/pseuds/fluffy_mittens</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Prince Technoblade is usurped and his throne is stolen, he must recruit the help of commoners Wilbur, Phil, Tommy and Tubbo to win back his crown.</p><p>(i actually made this for a secret santa lmao)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Toby Smith | Tubbo &amp; Wilbur Soot &amp; Technoblade &amp; TommyInnit &amp; Phil Watson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>221</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. We Flee</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Technoblade, son to King David ll, stood on his balcony and looked out over his future kingdom. His velvet robe fluttered around him in the wind, and he gazed down at the houses and streets and people, spreading beyond the horizon. Someday, all this would be his.</p><p>He turned and swept back inside, his gilded sword clanking against his sturdy boots. All the servants lowered their heads as he passed, in awe and respect. Technoblade was renowned around the kingdom as the best warrior and soldier in decades. He just wished his father would finally show some pride, instead of being money-obsessed and greedy and weak.</p><p>A pageboy approached him nervously, bowing his head reverently. "Your highness, your father requests you in the Great Hall," he announced, head still bowed.</p><p>Techno nodded his thanks and swept off once more, passing more stone corridors until he entered the enormous, towering Great Hall. His father sat on his golden throne, beady eyes fixed on his golden goblet, and a golden crown upon his head. Techno scowled; when would his father ever stop being obsessed with gold??</p><p>He approached his father, nodding his head. "Father, you sent for me?" he asked, and David glanced up. "Ah, yes, yes, my son," he exclaimed, ushering Techno closer and peering down at him. "I have news for you, great news!"</p><p>Techno frowned warily. "What news?" he asked suspiciously, and his father grinned.</p><p>"I have found you a bride!" he announced.</p><p>There was silence.</p><p>"Excuse me??" Techno asked incredulously, and his father laughed. "Yes, I know! I know! It's surprising, of course, but she has lands and money and a large dowry, and she will be a good wife for you. Not too pretty, though, but you can't get everything, eh? I think you'll-"</p><p>"There is no way in hell that you're selling me off to some stuck-up duke's daughter just so you can gain more money."</p><p>Techno's father's face swelled up red, and he scowled at his son. "You should be thankful that I'm helping you to glory! I could just as easily cast you off, you ungrateful, rude imbecile!"</p><p>"Not glory, money. That's all you care about, isn't it? I'm so sick of you," Techno spat, crossing his arms and letting his sword clank on the ground.</p><p>His father sneered. "You think you're so knowledgeable and grown up and superior, strutting about with that stupid sword of yours. It's time for you to face up to reality and stop acting like a child!"</p><p>Techno felt tears prick at his eyes, and he backed down from his father, the way he always did. He wished he wasn't such a coward, as he lowered his eyes and nodded submissively. He hated how much power his father had over him.</p><p>"Get out of my sight," King David snarled, draining his goblet angrily and wolfing down his food. Techno turned to leave, listless and slow.</p><p>He had nearly reached the doorway when he heard a choking noise from behind him. Frowning, he spun around to see his father purple in the face, eyes wild and desperate, hands clutching at his throat. He let out a long groan, convulsing upon his throne, and Techno let out a shout to alert the servants and rushed forwards, kneeling beside the man. "Father! Father!" he screamed, helpless as his father's eyes rolled back into his head.</p><p>Too late, a group of medics and maids rushed in, and the doctors immediately hurried up the dais to the king and surrounded his lifeless body. Techno stumbled backwards, shocked and scared, forgotten about as the room slowly filled up with people.</p><p>Techno watched distantly as one of the medics raised his head and shook his head slowly, and he collapsed on the ground, shaking. His father was dead. His father, the king, was dead.</p><p>It didn't seem real, but it was.</p><p>He lay on the floor, tears streaming from his eyes, unsure what to do. He couldn't move his body properly, and everything around him seemed to move slowly. He supposed he was in shock.</p><p>His father had always been a constant in his life, even if they didn't have a perfect relationship. He was still Techno's father, and it didn't seem possible that that important figure of his was gone.</p><p>As Techno slumped motionlessly, he didn't notice the group of men holding swords and moving swiftly through the crowd towards the dais. He didn't see as they subtly surrounded the king's body and took up attack stances. He only flinched when one of them yelled out, and they swung their swords in unison to slice the person in front of them.</p><p>Screams of terror filled the hall, and everyone inside flooded towards the doorway, away from the blood-splattered, grinning men. "Do you see this?" the one in front shouted. "Your king is dead! We have killed him!"</p><p>Many of the women were sobbing, huddling among the men. Techno raised his head, struggling to understand what was going on, then let out a huff of air as he was pulled up. He felt a sharp sting at his throat, and opened his eyes dizzily to find himself held tight in the arms of a guard, a sword to his neck. He blinked a few times, confused.</p><p>"We saved you from this tyrant!" the man on the dais continued. "He was a weak king, and would have led this great kingdom to ruin! We will bring this kingdom glory ONCE MORE!"</p><p>With that final cry, the rest of the men on the stage thrust their swords in the air and roared, echoing out of the castle and into the town beyond. The leader beckoned, and Techno was dragged up onstage and forced to kneel on the ground, a sword still at his throat. "You think this boy could ever be a king?" the leader laughed. "He only cares about winning battles, swinging that sword of his and claiming to be the best fighter in the land! WE WILL NOT STAND FOR IT!"</p><p>Techno's stomach dropped as some of the people in the crowd started to nod along with the man's words. The man had an important aura about himself that commanded people to listen, and trust in whatever he was saying. Techno tried to stand up and move away, but was forced back down.</p><p>"WE WILL FREE YOU!" the man cried, and Techno heard a whoosh of air above him. Dimly, he realised that he was being executed, and suddenly the world snapped back into focus. He knew what to do here; he had trained for this all his life.</p><p>At the last possible second, he threw his weight to the side and toppled into the man next to him, the sword clanging against the stone floor where Techno had lain only seconds before. Techno grabbed his sword and rose to his feet, blocking a man's blow and stamping down on his foot. The man hunched over in pain, then collapsed to the ground as Techno's sword pierced his arm.</p><p>The rest of the men rushed at Techno, swords drawn, and he easily side-stepped their attacks and drove his blade through the first. The second managed to nick the prince's arm, and blood seeped out, but Techno barely felt it as he brought his sword slashing down and the man's arms collapsed at the force of Techno's blow.</p><p>Techno's mind was thankfully empty as he drove back the men who had killed his father. If he had been able to think about his father, and what had just happened, he knew he would be unable to fight. His blank mind was a blessing.</p><p>Techno saw a large group of guards rushing at him, and the other men following them, and decided that now was the time to get out of here; he wasn't invincible, and he couldn't take that many opponents. The doorway was clear of servants now, but Techno assumed that the rest of the castle would be in the control of the rebels. He couldn't leave that way.</p><p>He backed away from the rushing enemies, scanning the rest of the room. He spied an open window that he knew led out onto a wide balcony only a few metres below, and he manoeuvred his way around the room, blocking blows, until he had his back to the window.</p><p>The leader finally realised what was happening, and screamed, "Don't let him escape!" but it was too late. Techno swung his sword one more time then threw himself out of the window, grasping hold of the thick curtains with one hand. He barely held onto the fabric as the curtain stretched dangerously, his body swinging helplessly in the open air.</p><p>Techno found footholds in the uneven rock walls of the castle and climbed down towards the balcony as fast as possible. He dropped down, letting out a groan as his ankle collapsed and radiated pain, and he rose to see a guard staring at him open-mouthed.</p><p>Techno quickly flicked his sword out, and the guard fell to his knees, clutching his bleeding ankles. The prince turned and peered over the balcony, at the distant ground, and winced. It was far away; Techno couldn't fall that far without greatly injuring himself.</p><p>He swung his leg over the rail of the balcony, scanning the walls on either side for an escape route. As a group of guards rounded the corner and rushed at Techno from inside the castle, the boy had already clambered over the edge and lowered himself down. He slowly made his way down the wall, ankle screaming in pain, until he reached the stone trellis reaching from the castle to the high surrounding wall.</p><p>As he edged across the precarious stone tightrope, an arrow whizzed past nearby, and he flinched and nearly lost his balance. He turned to see guards firing crossbows at him from a nearby watchtower.</p><p>He flattened himself on the trellis, and the arrows flew over his head. He rolled the rest of the way to the wall, and only when he was lowering himself over did an arrow smack into his left shoulder and throw him away from the wall.</p><p>Techno let out a scream, reaching out desperately to grab something, anything, with his good arm. He plummeted towards the ground and the staring people milling below, helpless.</p><p>Techno threw out his arm and barely managed to grab a gutter pipe as he fell. He screamed again as his right shoulder gave a snap, bringing his body up short and scraping half the skin off his hand. He gritted his teeth, blocking out the pain, and shakily pulled himself up onto a ledge.</p><p>His vision swam with darkness as he slumped against the wall, arrow still piercing his shoulder and bleeding from cuts and scrapes and wounds. His right shoulder wouldn't take any weight, and his ankle wouldn't either.</p><p>Techno blinked away the blackness at the edge of his eyes, ignoring the dizziness and agony. He peered over the wall, limbs trembling, and saw guards gathered below, crossbows aimed once more. He jerked back into cover just in time to avoid an arrow shooting directly into his head, and collapsed against the wall once more.</p><p>This was it. It was over. His father was dead, and soon he would be too. There was no escape.</p><p>He could hear guards shouting something about a ladder, and he sighed. He hoped they would just stab him and be done with it.</p><p>Techno drifted in and out of unconsciousness as a ladder was dragged to the wall and guards clambered up to Techno's hiding spot. They grabbed him and roughly dragged him down, ignoring his howls as pain exploded through him. They dragged him to the town square, bloody and half-dead, and Techno opened his eyes to see the leader of the rebels sneering down at him.</p><p>"You pitiful creature. You really thought you could escape? Imbecile," he spat, laughing, and Techno closed his eyes again, ignoring the man. He distantly heard the leader shout some more words to the crowd, then lean down, breath disgustingly hot against Techno's ear.</p><p>"I enjoyed watching your stupid father die, and I'll enjoy watching you die as well," he chuckled.</p><p>Techno felt rage rise up in him at the insult to his father, and he snapped open his eyes and glared at his enemy. "Don't speak about him in that way," he snarled, pain gone once more.</p><p>The leader merely laughed again, and raised his sword. But Techno wasn't ready to die any longer. He couldn't let his family name be destroyed in this way; he owed it to his father, and his grandfather, even if he hated them.</p><p>He rolled out of the way once more, shoving a guard aside and sprinting at the crowd. They parted for him, as he flew down the road, ankle suddenly working. Blood dripped from his wounds but he didn't care; he couldn't let them win.</p><p>Techno heard guards behind him once more, and he turned and threw himself down a small alleyway. He continued in this way, taking erratic turns down random streets, until he had finally lost his pursuers.</p><p>Then he collapsed on the ground and passed out in front of a blacksmith.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Wilbur Soot</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Techno awoke slowly, dizzily, feeling a blanket covering his aching body and hearing a crackling, warm fire nearby. He frowned, opening his eyes and blinking to clear away the blurriness.</p><p>He was lying on a straw mattress in someone's living room, and he could feel bandages covering his wounds. Miraculously, they weren't too painful; Techno suspected some sort of salve had been put on them.</p><p>He tried to sit up but was too weak, sliding back down and groaning softly. He wondered whose house he was in, and how he had gotten here. How long had he been unconscious?</p><p>Then he heard stairs creaking, and a cheerful face with floppy brown hair and glasses appeared above him.</p><p>"Hello," the face said, and Techno flinched in surprise. "Uh…hi," he croaked, suddenly realising how thirsty he was. He hesitated, then asked, "Um, could I have some water?"</p><p>"Please," the man said disapprovingly, but left and came back with a tall glass of clear, cold water. Techno gulped it down gratefully, relishing the feeling of the water sliding down his sore throat and clearing his groggy head.</p><p>The man helped him sit up, Techno wincing in pain as he was lifted into a sitting position. He peered suspiciously at the man, who was now adding more wood to the fire and stirring a pot of stew dangling over it.</p><p>The stranger was dressed in a brown tunic and trousers, a commoner's clothes. There were blacksmith's tools hanging by the fire, so Techno deduced that this man was a blacksmith. He couldn't hear or see anyone else in the small house, so he assumed the man lived alone.</p><p>"Who are you? Where am I?" Techno demanded, and the man glanced over. "My name is Wilbur Soot, and I can see that you're obviously Prince Technoblade," he gestured to Techno's distinct pink hair, "You're in my house, I brought you here after I found you half-dead on my doorstep. Also, how much stew would you like?"</p><p>Techno blinked, then muttered, "I don't mind." Wilbur scooped a large heap into a bowl and handed it to Techno with a spoon. "Eat up," Wilbur urged. "It's late evening, you've slept for around three days."</p><p>Techno jolted, nearly dropping the bowl. "Three days??" he exclaimed, and Wilbur nodded. "Oh shit," he muttered, shaking his head slowly.</p><p>"You worrying 'bout those murderers up at the castle? They've taken over, and they've started torturing people to get information on where you are. Seems like the really want you dead," Wilbur explained, swallowing the hot stew down.</p><p>Techno nodded. "It's smart; I'm the biggest threat to them right now. If I was in their place, the next thing I would do is take out the sympathiser guards, and recruit new, loyal ones. Also remove the Dukes who supported my father, and ally with those who-"</p><p>Techno paused when he noticed Wilbur looking at him doubtfully, and he flushed. "Sorry," he mumbled.</p><p>Wilbur shrugged. "So how did you escape?" he asked curiously, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. Techno winced at the manners. "I climbed down the walls; I used to practice climbing them every day as a child," he explained, and Wilbur raised his eyebrows, impressed. "Huh."</p><p>Techno glanced at his wounds, then at the stew in his hands, then back up at Wilbur. "Why…why are you helping me, Wilbur?" he asked quietly, and Wilbur blinked. He hesitated, then replied slowly, unsurely, "Because I don't support murderers ruling my home."</p><p>Techno frowned. "My grandfather was a murderer. My father was a murderer. He executed countless people," he argued, and Wilbur shrugged. "At least they cared about the kingdom in some way. These people don't give a shit about us, the peasants. They just want power."</p><p>Techno sighed, but let it go. He finished his stew, then silently handed his bowl to Wilbur, who rinsed them out and returned them to the cupboards. Techno gazed at the fire, pulling the blanket around himself, and suddenly his thoughts turned to his father.</p><p>It felt like a dam exploded inside himself; all of that grief and pain he had been repressing flooded him, and he hunched over and sobbed. Wilbur jumped, then hurried over and gingerly patted Techno's back, as if unsure whether he could touch the prince.</p><p>His father was dead. His father was dead. "My father is dead," he sobbed, shoulders shaking.</p><p>"Yeah, he is," Wilbur answered, and there was a sadness in his voice that made Techno glance up, cheeks wet. "You…where's your father?" he asked slowly, and Wilbur's eyes dropped to the floor. He paused, then painted a smile on his face and shrugged. "He died 8 years ago, along with my mother and brother," he replied, and Techno let out a breath. "I'm sorry," he muttered, embarrassed.</p><p>Wilbur shook his head fiercely. "Don't worry, Your Highness. It's fine," he said quickly, and Techno flinched at the title. "Don't…just call me Techno," he suggested, and Wilbur nodded. "Alright, Techno."</p><p>The two men sat silently on the couch, staring into the fire, thinking about their lost loved ones. After a long time, Techno's eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep, and Wilbur went back upstairs to his bed.</p><p>-</p><p>"Who are you??"</p><p>Techno awoke with a jolt, eyes snapping open and sitting up. Two young boys were standing in the doorway, staring at Techno in surprise.</p><p>The prince stiffened, staring out the open door to the street, terrified. He leaped to his feet and grabbed his sword, jumping at the boys and holding the sword to their throats. "Shut up," he hissed furiously, and they went silent and pale.</p><p>Then Techno heard Wilbur say, "What the hell are you doing, Techno??" from behind him, and he turned to see Wilbur standing on the stairs, hair mussed and eyes bleary. He blushed, embarrassed, and released the boys, who ran to huddle next to Wilbur. The taller boy, who had scruffy blonde hair, stood up straight and glared at Techno.</p><p>"If you touch Tubbo again, I'm going to beat you into little pieces!" he declared, trying to be threatening, and Techno raised his eyebrow. Wilbur rolled his eyes, a hand resting on the boy's shoulder affectionately.</p><p>"Are you really Prince Technoblade?" the younger one asked timidly, clutching onto Wilbur's shirt. Techno nodded, looking uncomfortable, then turned and quickly shut the door. He could hear people outside, and he didn't want to get caught.</p><p>"Uh, Techno, these are my friends, Tommy and Tubbo," Wilbur offered, ruffling Tommy's hair and slinging an arm around Tubbo's shoulders. Techno shifted on his feet awkwardly; he was terrible with children, and hated to be around them. "Hello," he muttered.</p><p>"Why did you grab us and point your big sword at us?" Tommy asked, and Techno shrugged. "Wasn't sure if you'd blab," he replied shortly.</p><p>There was an awkward silence, broken only by Tubbo turning to Wilbur and saying, "Why is he here?" "He's on the run from the people who have taken over the kingdom, remember?" Wilbur explained gently. "We have to help him."</p><p>Tubbo nodded, brightening. "Yeah, I can help him!" he announced, and Tommy snorted. Tubbo looked hurt, and Tommy poked Tubbo in the shoulder. "You're just not as amazing at sword fighting as I am," Tommy said, and Tubbo nodded sadly. "Yeah," he mumbled.</p><p>"Hey, Tommy, shut up," Wilbur snapped, and knelt down in front of Tubbo. "Listen, buddy, you can help, alright? Don't listen to Tommy. He's just a dipshit."</p><p>Tommy opened his mouth to argue, and Wilbur kicked him in the shins. Tubbo beamed at Wilbur, happy once more, and scurried off to the kitchen to grab a snack. Tommy followed behind him grumpily.</p><p>Wilbur turned back to Techno. "Sorry about that," he said apologetically, and Techno shrugged dismissively. "They your little brothers, or something?" Techno asked curiously, but Wilbur shook his head. "No, just…adopted brothers, kind of. Not officially. I'm just close with their father, Phil. He owns the local tavern."</p><p>Techno nodded, hand rising up to gently rub the arrow wound in his shoulder. He winced at the pain, and Wilbur noticed. "Here, I'll redress the bandages," Wilbur offered, sitting Techno down and taking off the bandages.</p><p>Techno gazed at the gaping wound in his shoulder coolly. He barely even flinched as Wilbur rinsed the wound and put new, clean bandages on. Wilbur raised an eyebrow, impressed. "You can stand pain pretty well, eh?" he asked, and Techno nodded. "Takes more than a few hits to knock me down," he replied proudly.</p><p>Tommy and Tubbo entered again, Tommy's shirt now splattered with jam and Tubbo's hair dripping the stuff too. Wilbur let out a sigh of exasperation and rushed over. "What did you do to my jam??" he demanded, and Tommy put his hands on his hips defiantly. "It was your fault that the lid wasn't screwed on properly!" Tommy argued, and Tubbo just nodded along in agreement to both of them.</p><p>Techno watched, amused and a little sad. He had always wished that he had a sibling, preferably a brother, to teach how to fight and to protect and hang out with. Unfortunately, his mother had died in childbirth, and his father had never remarried.</p><p>Wilbur had managed to wrestle Tommy over to the water pump just out the back, and sprayed the boy, ignoring his squeals. Tubbo rinsed out his hair too, getting rid of all the jam in it. Eventually, Tommy emerged from Wilbur's hold, dripping wet and scowling. He pointed dramatically at Techno. "You see what I have to go through?" he cried, and Wilbur ignored him and walked past him back into the house. Tommy scowled and followed him.</p><p>Wilbur grabbed a basket from the kitchen, covered with a cloth, and handed it to Tubbo. "I put you in charge on the way home," he told the short boy, who nodded solemnly. Tommy made a noise of outrage, but Wilbur raised an eyebrow at him, and he subsided.</p><p>Then Wilbur knelt down in front of the two boys, looking suddenly serious. "Also, boys…promise me you won't tell anyone about Techno, alright? Otherwise he could get captured again."</p><p>Tubbo nodded quickly, glancing over at Techno for a moment. Tommy just looked grumpy. "But I wanted to tell all my friends…" he whined, and Wilbur poked him hard in the arm. "You can't tell anyone. Swear," he demanded, and after a lot of huffing and groaning, Tommy finally promised not to tell anyone.</p><p>Techno watched the two boys go worriedly. "They won't tell anyone, don't worry," Wilbur assured him. "They're good kids."</p><p>Techno nodded absent-mindedly, and glanced back at Wilbur, who was heading upstairs to get dressed for work. "You can just…stay here, alright? I'll see you this afternoon," Wilbur said, waving goodbye. Techno nodded back, and collapsed on his mattress.</p><p>After a while, he couldn't help it; he hurried over to the window and pulled the curtain aside. He gazed up at his home eagerly, then his smile faltered when he realised that all of the kingdom's flags that had decorated the walls and gates of the castle were gone.</p><p>He scowled, cursing the rebels in his mind. He felt tears prick his eyes, and wiped them away angrily; he couldn't afford to show any more weakness.</p><p>He turned away from the window, shoving thoughts of his father out of his mind, and took out his sword. He hacked away at the air for hours, ignoring the flares of pain from his ankle, shoulders and hands, furiously slicing his invisible opponent in half again and again and again.</p><p>Finally, after hours of swinging his sword repeatedly, Techno's movements were once again fluid and graceful. He was no longer stiff, but he was certainly sore.</p><p>He stared through a crack in the curtain at the sun, high in the sky, and felt his stomach rumble. He headed to the kitchen, searching through the cupboards and icebox for something to eat. Finally, after a long time, he managed to scrounge together half a loaf of bread, some corned beef and dried apple. It was nothing like what he'd had at the castle; plus, he wasn't the best cook. Overall, it was a pretty pitiful meal.</p><p>Techno began to feel confined, pacing around the room angrily and tapping his foot repeatedly when he sat down. He wanted to get out of here, go back to the castle, kill those rebels and avenge his father. He couldn't do that sitting here, locked in this tiny house.</p><p>Finally, with a roar of frustration, he slammed his sword into the wall, and collapsed to the ground, sobbing. He couldn't stand it anymore. Eventually, Techno leant his head against the wall and drifted off to sleep.</p><p>He was awoken in the late afternoon by the door opening, and Wilbur stepping inside. "Techno?" he asked curiously, eyes darting from the sword still piercing the wall to the boy slumped against the wall listlessly.</p><p>Techno jumped to his feet, embarrassed, and tugged the blade out of the wall. "Um…sorry," he muttered, shoving his sword back into its scabbard.</p><p>Wilbur frowned. "Are you…alright?" he asked slowly, moving to sit down beside the prince. After a moment's hesitation, Techno leant his head on Wilbur's shoulder and sighed. "I just…I feel like I'm not doing anything by just hiding here, you know? I should be out there, fighting back, defending my people! Not just sitting here like a coward."</p><p>"Hey, hey, don't think that way," Wilbur said. "We will do something, alright? I promise. But right now you're still injured, and you'll be of no help to anyone if you get captured immediately."</p><p>Techno sighed, nodded at Wilbur's wisdom. Then Wilbur stood up and pulled Techno to his feet as well, suddenly looking eager. "And I've been thinking, I'm not the best at sword fighting. Could you give me a few pointers to improve?"</p><p>Techno's face split into a smirk. "You sure?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, and Wilbur blinked. Techno shrugged. "Alright."</p><p>He glanced around the room. "You got a sword?" he asked, and Wilbur nodded and rushed from the room. He came back holding a plain weapon, with no fancy details or jewels like Techno's. Wilbur took up a defensive stance, and Techno swept his gaze over the man with a critical eye, already finding some flaws.</p><p>He walked over and shifted Wilbur's foot so his body was balanced, kicking the back of Wilbur's feet so he was bouncing on the balls of his feet. He nudged the back of Wilbur's knee to bend it more, and adjusted the man's hold on his sword.</p><p>Wilbur looked bewildered. "Jeez, I didn't know I was doing everything so wrong," he muttered, and Techno chuckled and shook his head. "I got my training from the best. It's extremely unlikely that a commoner like you would have gotten the same level of education."</p><p>Wilbur nodded, and watched nervously as Techno gripped his own sword and raised an eyebrow. "We'll spar for a bit and then I'll give you a few pointers, okay?" he asked, and Wilbur nodded quickly.</p><p>Without warning, Wilbur darted forwards, swinging his sword in an uppercut. Techno easily slid the weapon off to the side, then caved the air in a deadly arc towards Wilbur's exposed side. The man stumbled sideways to avoid the blow, eyes widening at Techno's speed and skill. He ran at the prince, battering at his defence, but Techno blocked every blow and took the attack like it was nothing.</p><p>Finally, Techno had had enough, and he started to go on the offense. He blocked a final swing, then spun to the side and jabbed out, flicking away Wilbur's defence and making him stumble back a step to avoid the razor sharp tip. He let out a small cry as the blade nicked his cheek on its way up, and he barely lifted his sword to avoid being sliced in half.</p><p>Techno raised his sword a final time, cool and composed, but Wilbur dropped his sword and flinched back, wide-eyed. "Hey, hey, that's enough!" he cried, and Techno immediately stopped its sword mid-swing.</p><p>Wilbur collapsed back on his wooden chair, panting. "Jesus Christ, Techno! What was that??" he exclaimed, a little awed. Techno shrugged dismissively, then put away his sword and sat down next to Wilbur. "Alright, here's the feedback," he began.</p><p>"You were holding the hilt too low down, and changing the angle of your wrist with each stroke; don't do that. It reduces the strength behind each stroke. Also make sure you have a foot behind you constantly, for power and stability. Your attacks were rather weak, with the power focused from the base instead of the middle. Always remember to keep your sides protected, and if someone does an overhand at you, don't block it, or let it slide off, but sway to the side; right now, your grip and stance isn't strong enough to block or slide it off."</p><p>Wilbur blinked, speechless for a few moments, and Techno waited patiently. "Wow!" Wilbur blurted out finally. "I mean, wow! Gosh, uh, thanks!"</p><p>"No problem. I'll leave you to practise for a bit." Techno replied, and left. He wandered towards the back door, and couldn't resist peering out the window into the sheltered tiny courtyard, with a lemon tree in the centre.</p><p>It was lucky he did, because he caught a glimpse of a soldier's helmet over the gate, and then it opened and three soldiers strode inside.</p><p>Techno jumped, startled, and raced back through the house to where Wilbur was practising his strokes and stances. He glanced up, worried at Techno's urgency.</p><p>"Soldiers! Outside! Coming in!" he hissed, and Wilbur jumped up, eyes wide with fear. "Shit," he muttered, glancing at the back door. He grabbed the second cup on the table and shoved it onto the bench, then grabbed Techno by the arm and dragged him upstairs.</p><p>Techno, who had never been upstairs, looked around curiously at Wilbur's room. The bed was large and messy, and clothes were strewn everywhere. A small pile of book was on the table, and a lute hung on the wall. Techno hadn't known that Wilbur played music.</p><p>Wilbur knelt on the ground, muttering furiously to himself, and pried at one of the floorboards until it came away and revealed a narrow gap that a person could just fit into. Techno crawled inside, hating the feel of the rough wood and sticking out nails scraping against his skin. He rolled over and glanced up at Wilbur. "Be safe," he hissed, suddenly worried for his friend, but Wilbur dismissed the worry with a flick of his hand and shoved the floorboard back into place.</p><p>Techno was thrust into darkness, only a few chinks of light filtering down through the floorboards. He concentrated on breathing slowly to calm his racing heart, and closed his eyes.  He was lying spread out on his chest, head turned to the side, and he pillowed his arm under his head. There was no room at all for him to sit up or even raise his head.</p><p>He heard voices down below, and footsteps and clangs. He realised there was a soldier above him, in the room, and he held his breath and squeezed his eyes shut. The boots tramped across the floorboards until they stood directly above Techno's hiding spot, and the prince couldn't stop trembling with fear.</p><p>Finally, the soldier trudged back down the stairs, and after a moment he heard the front gate open and close. He stayed hidden, not wanting to risk being found, until suddenly the floorboard was removed once more.</p><p>Techno flinched away instinctively, in case it was a soldier, but Wilbur's anxious face peered down at him instead.</p><p>"You alright?" he asked, and Techno nodded, squeezing himself out of the gap and collapsing on the floor, panting. The two men sat in silence for a moment, letting the terror flow out of them, until Wilbur got up and helped Techno to his feet. "Just routine searches, they said, but they were obviously looking for you," Wilbur said, and Techno nodded in agreement.</p><p>He glanced down curiously at the hiding spot. "Why is this here, anyway?" he asked curiously, and Wilbur chuckled a bit. "I don't know, but I use it in hide and seek all the time. Tommy and Tubbo never find me there," he snorted, and Techno's mouth quirked up at the edge.</p><p>He sat down heavily on the bed, and nodded to the lute on the wall. "You play?"</p><p>Wilbur nodded, grabbing the lute eagerly and sitting down on the bed. After a few experimental strums, he launched into a catchy song that Techno had never heard before, but had him nodding his head along to the melody.</p><p>"What song was that?" Techno asked when it ended, and Wilbur replied proudly, "My own. I wrote it myself." Techno looked surprised and impressed.</p><p>The sky was dark outside, and Wilbur got up. "I'll go make dinner," he announced, and Techno followed him back downstairs.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Philza Minecraft</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Techno was rudely awoken for yet another morning in a row, opening his eyes to find a muscular man, who looked similar to Tommy and Tubbo, standing outside the door and knocking loudly. Wilbur flew down the stairs, looking harried, but relaxed when he saw the man. "Don't worry, it's just Phil. Go hide upstairs," he told Techno, who nodded and crept up to the second floor.</p><p>Wilbur opened the door calmly, smiling when he saw Phil, but then Phil burst through the door, looking worried. "Tommy told me something about the prince being here!" he hissed, and Wilbur froze. His eyes darted around as he searched for an escape route, and he tried to look casual and confused but failed.</p><p>Suddenly, Tommy and Tubbo appeared, out of breath and tumbling through the door. "Dad!" Tommy whined. "I told you not to come rushing over!"</p><p>Wilbur stormed over to Tommy, jabbing a finger in his face. "You swore not to tell anyone!" he growled, and Tommy flinched away. Tubbo tried to grab Wilbur's arm, but the man shook him off.</p><p>"But it's Dad! I can't keep any secrets from Dad!" Tommy argued, and Wilbur's face turned a deep shade of furious red. "This isn't just one of your games, Tommy!" he cried. "People's lives are at stake!"</p><p>"Hey, hey, Will, calm down," Phil said, grabbing Wilbur by the arm and pulling him away from Tommy. "Leave Tommy alone, alright?"</p><p>Wilbur scowled, but obeyed.</p><p>"So…Prince Technoblade really is here?" Phil asked incredulously, scanning the house. Wilbur hesitated, but shrugged; the cat was out of the bag. He called out, "Techno! Come down!" and the pink-haired man appeared warily on the stairs.</p><p>Phil's jaw dropped, and he stood frozen for a moment before hurriedly dropping into a bow. "Uh-Your Highness!" he stammered.</p><p>Techno waved a hand in the air. "There's no time for those sorts of formalities right now. Just call me Techno," he replied. Phil looked unsure, but nodded.</p><p>"So…how did you end up here, with Wilbur?" Phil asked curiously, as Tubbo burrowed his head into Phil's side and the older man put a protective arm around the boy's shoulders.</p><p>Techno chuckled slightly. "It's a very exciting story," he said. "When…the rebels took over, I managed to escape from the castle by climbing down the walls, but they shot me with a crossbow and tried to execute me in the square. I managed to get free and lose the guards, and ended up unconscious on Wilbur's doorstep. Lucky he did, since he took such great care of me."</p><p>Phil sent a proud look Wilbur's way, and the man blushed with pride. Then Phil turned back to Techno with a determined look on his face. "Well, we've got to help you get your kingdom back, don't we?" he said fiercely, and Tommy gave a squeal of glee and announced, "See?? I'm helpful! I'm helpful!"</p><p>Wilbur glared at Tommy, then nodded at Phil. "Exactly," he replied, satisfied.</p><p>Techno frowned. "How?" he asked doubtfully, and Phil beamed at him. "I'm glad you asked!" he replied.</p><p>"We can collect a bunch of weapons and armour and supplies, create a small group of fighters to recruit, spread the message to the other townspeople that these tyrants won't get away with their taking over of our home. Put up posters, all that stuff, but make sure that they can't trace the cause of the disturbance back to us," Phil detailed, and Techno nodded along. It seemed like a good plan, but…</p><p>There was still that kernel of doubt in the back of his mind; was it really his kingdom? Did he deserve it? He was only 21 after all, a young age for a king. Really, the only thing he was good for was fighting. He'd never really taken an interest in running the kingdom. But most of all, did his family even deserve the crown? His grandfather had taken over the kingdom by force, and his father had been a weak and greedy king. Perhaps he was too much like either of his male predecessors; perhaps he would lead the kingdom to ruin.</p><p>Techno realised Phil and Wilbur had still been talking, working out the details, and he focused on the conversation.</p><p>"…George will be happy to help," he heard Wilbur finish, and Phil nodded. Tommy's face lit up, and he turned to Techno. "Hey Techno, guess what? Guess what? I'm friends with George Not Found," the boy bragged.</p><p>Techno stifled a laugh. George Not Found was a knight, and he had gathered substantial fame along with his two best friends Dream and Sapnap. He'd met George once before, at a conference, and Sapnap and Dream as well, but he'd never really got to know them.</p><p>Wilbur turned to him, beaming. "C'mon Techno, don't worry, we'll get you your kingdom back," he reassured the pink-haired man, who pasted a smile on his face in return.</p><p>Techno wished he had the same enthusiasm.</p><p>That night, Techno couldn't sleep. His stomach was roiling with guilt, and worry, and anxiety. He couldn't stop thinking about the kingdom, and the throne, and his father and grandfather, and wondering whether he was worthy to become king. He tossed and turned in bed for hours, becoming more and more wound up, until he stood up suddenly and grabbed his sword.</p><p>"I can't…" he whispered softly, tears pricking his eyes as he stared out the window at the distant castle, his home. He couldn't be king. He couldn't rule this kingdom. He couldn't lead these people. Someone else would have to take up the role.</p><p>Techno gathered his cloak and sword, then silently opened the door and slipped out into the night. He was already forming a plan in his mind; he would travel in disguise through the kingdom until he reached the Syronean Ocean, and steal, hire or travel aboard a boat to a neighbouring kingdom.</p><p>He crept through the streets, flinching at every noise, fingers gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. He could see a couple up ahead, walking together, and he glanced around desperately for a disguise.</p><p>Techno spied a pile of dirt and mud beneath a nearby windowsill, and hurriedly knelt down and grabbed a handful. He massaged the mud into his hair, disguising the distinct pink hair, and shoved his cloak under his arm. He slouched over and began to stagger, muttering to himself.</p><p>The couple passed by the obviously drunk stranger, giving him a wide berth. They continued to whisper and giggle.</p><p>Techno breathed a sigh of relief, and continued walking. Suddenly he realised that he had forgotten to bring food from Wilbur's house, and he silently cursed himself. He paused in the middle of the street, hesitating, but decided that he couldn't afford to go back and risk waking up Wilbur now. He continued on, ignoring the pangs of hunger and sorrow, wandering down the dimly lit street quietly.</p><p>Suddenly, Techno was jolted out of his thoughts at the sound of boots up ahead. His head jerked up, and he froze at the sight of a group of soldiers striding down the street.</p><p>"Shit. Shit shit shit-" he muttered, quickly switching into his drunk persona, making sure to keep his face hidden.</p><p>Please, he begged silently. Please, please, oh god, please-</p><p>But the soldiers had seen him, and one of them waved him over lazily. He pretended not to notice them and kept on staggering by, but then he felt a firm grip on his upper arm and turned to peer owlishly into the eyes of a soldier.</p><p>"ID, please," the guard demanded, and Techno felt panic erupt in his mind. On the outside, he grinned and lifted his arms in the air, starting to sing a shanty that he had heard sung in town before.</p><p>The soldier gave a growl of impatience and dragged him over to the group of soldiers. Techno, anxious, tried to pull away, and the soldier noticed immediately. He narrowed his eyes. "What, you got something to hide?" he sneered, and Techno forced a hiccup.</p><p>He was dragged into the light of a gas lamp, helpless, and one of the soldiers grasped his chin and tilted his face up.</p><p>There was a moment of silence.</p><p>Then Techno reacted quickly, grabbing hold of the soldier's hand and twisting. The soldier's wrist gave a satisfying snap, and the soldier let out a cry and stumbled backwards.</p><p>"It's the prince! It's the prince!" the guards started to shout, and rushed forwards with their weapons drawn. Techno rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck, readying for a bloody fight.</p><p>He shifted to the side, so that only one man was running in front of the pack at him. He swept his sword up and blocked the guard's blow, then changed the direction of his sword easily and slicing deep into the man's stomach. He screamed and fell to the ground, but another two soldiers were already in his place, swinging at Techno simultaneously.</p><p>The prince swayed to the side to avoid one blow, then caught the second with his sword and flung the weapon away with a jerk of his wrist. He dove forwards and rolled to avoid the first soldier's blow, and when he rose to his feet fluidly he struck out with his leg and kicked the weapon-less guard directly in the back. The man toppled forwards, clutching his ribs and groaning.</p><p>Techno heard a whoosh of air as another sword was swung at him, and he turned and dodged the glancing blow. Two more soldiers surrounded Techno, and he surged forwards to attack one opponent directly, slamming his sword down with all of his strength and breaking the man's fingers where they lay on his hilt.</p><p>He turned and swung out again, his sword singing with death and blood, and soon all of the soldiers were lying on the ground, either unconscious, injured or dead.</p><p>Techno stood panting in the centre of the pile of bodies, and he dropped the point of his sword and wiped the sweat off his face. He surveyed the scene with satisfaction, murmuring "1 v 6!" under his breath.</p><p>Suddenly, Wilbur, Phil, Tubbo and Tommy appeared from an alleyway, holding swords and looking fierce. The would-be saviours paused when they found Techno whole and unharmed, soldiers surrounding him on the ground.</p><p>Techno looked at them in horror; how had they found him?? "You- uh-" Phil stammered, staring down at the pile in shock, and Wilbur moved towards Techno, frowning in concern. "You alright?" he asked, and Techno nodded. He flinched away from Wilbur's touch, considering himself unworthy of comfort.</p><p>"Why did you leave? I heard you go, so I went and got the others and we came looking for you. But…you seem to be doing just fine," Wilbur commented.</p><p>Techno shrugged, thinking fast. "I was just…finding some guards to fight, to suss out their fighting style and be better prepared when I have to fight them for real. I assumed night would be the best time, because there's less chance of me being recognised," he lied. Tommy and Tubbo and Phil looked convinced, but Wilbur still frowned.</p><p>"Alright," he said doubtfully, holding a hand out and ushering Techno back towards his house. "Well, I think that's enough fighting for tonight. And- what is that in your hair??"</p><p>Techno flushed, lifting a hand to smooth some of the gunk out. "Just a disguise."</p><p>"…Right. Well, let's go, otherwise we'll all be exhausted in the morning," Phil decided, pulling Tommy and Tubbo close and hurrying them back the way they had come. Wilbur stayed behind and walked next to Techno in silence.</p><p>"Techno-"</p><p>Wilbur stopped and sighed, looking concerned. Techno glanced at him, pretending to be puzzled, but pleading with Wilbur in his mind to just drop it.</p><p>They returned home in silence, and Wilbur said goodnight to Techno again before going back upstairs to his bedroom.</p><p>Techno lay in silence in his bed, the guilt of his lie making him feel like throwing up. He wished he'd never gotten involved with Wilbur, and Tommy, and Tubbo, and Phil; he owed them too much to try and leave again. He rolled over and groaned into his cloak, feeling his eyes grow damp. He wiped them angrily.</p><p>"Oh shut up, Technoblade. Don't you dare cry," he growled, then rolled over and closed his eyes forcefully.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Rebellion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next few weeks consisted mostly of preparing for the rebellion: gathering weapons, armour and shields; recruiting new members, mostly Wilbur's friends; and putting up posters around town to spread the message. The tyrants were furious with this, and executed and tortured more and more people to try and find out information. This only helped the rebellion spread, the townspeople outraged with their current leaders and the disregard for their people.</p><p>Techno helped his friends in every way he could, but he was still tormented and downcast, and nothing could cheer him up. Tommy tried in vain to get him to play games, but Techno merely got more and more irritated until he shouted at Tommy to piss off and stormed away to hack at the air a bit more.</p><p>Techno also found himself deathly bored; he still wanted to be doing something. After almost three weeks, he was so desperate for entertainment that he took a soldier hostage and kept him inside Wilbur's house until Wilbur found out and got mad at him. The soldier was passed onto one of Wilbur's friends, to be kept captive so he couldn't report back to his leaders.</p><p>Wilbur could sense that something was wrong with his friend, and he decided that he should talk to the prince. He approached Techno one morning, sitting at the table and staring listlessly off into space. "Hey, Techno? Can I talk to you?" he asked nervously, and Techno blinked slowly. "Sorry, I'm not gay," he mumbled, turning away.</p><p>Wilbur blinked, before bursting into laughter. Techno glanced over, puzzled, and waited until Wilbur had stopped hysterically cackling. "No, no, no, that is not at all what I wanted to talk about," he chuckled, sitting down next to the pink-haired man.</p><p>Techno frowned. "What do you want, then?" he asked impatiently.</p><p>Wilbur took a deep breath. "Techno…are you alright?"</p><p>There was a beat of silence, then Techno scoffed and asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"</p><p>Wilbur sighed. "I can tell when one of my friends isn't having the best time, and you've obviously got something eating away at you. You don't have to tell me what it is, but just know that telling someone can really help to relieve the pressure," he said.</p><p>Techno stiffened. "I'm not-"</p><p>"Techno, don't try to lie. I can tell," Wilbur repeated, and Techno slumped down angrily.</p><p>"It's none of your business, alright? Just back off," Techno snapped, standing up and storming away.</p><p>"Are you sure?" Wilbur asked softly.</p><p>Techno paused in the doorway. He glanced back at Wilbur for a moment, and Wilbur caught a glimpse of terror and sadness, before the prince shook his head violently and stormed off.</p><p>There was a certain chill in the air between them for the next few days, and Techno tried to avoid Wilbur at all costs. He couldn't afford anyone knowing about his doubts; he had to be strong for them.</p><p>Phil noticed the tension immediately, and finally, after two days of it, he'd had enough. He sat Techno and Wilbur down at the table, and announced, "Alright, you two. I'm sick of you being all grumpy and moody; you're ruining the day for the boys and I as well. So just get it over with and sort out whatever it is that you two are in a spat about." He gestured between the two of them, then turned and retreated out of the room.</p><p>There was a heated silence. After a long while, Wilbur opened his mouth to speak, frowning, then was startled into silence as Techno burst into noisy tears, hunching over in his seat and sobbing hopelessly. The taller boy sat frozen for a few moments, before rushing over and putting a comforting arm around Techno's waist, whispering soothing words.</p><p>Finally, Techno stopped crying, and he turned and looked up at Wilbur with red eyes. "I'm sorry. I was a dick," he whispered, and Wilbur hugged him tighter. "Hey, don't worry. It's fine," he replied softly. "Now…can you tell me what's wrong?"</p><p>Techno nodded, squeezing his eyes shut and hesitating for a moment. Then he took a deep breath and blurted everything out:</p><p>"I'm scared, Wilbur. I'm so, so scared. And I know I shouldn't be, I can't be, because I'm the prince! I'm Technoblade! I'm the great hope! But I just…"</p><p>The pink-haired man swallowed.</p><p>"I'm terrified that I won't be a good king. I'm terrified that I don’t even deserve the throne. My grandfather murdered hundreds to take control! He was worse than the tyrants! And my father…he was weak, and greedy, and only cared about money. He didn't give a damn about anyone else. If these are the people I'm descended from…how do I know I won't be just as bad?"</p><p>Wilbur embraced his friend again, replying forcefully, "But Techno…you're not your father, or your grandfather, alright? You won't be like your father, because your father would never feel motivated enough to do anything that you're doing right now. You caring so much and worrying so much proves that you will be a good king. Techno, have a little faith in yourself, alright?"</p><p>Techno took a shuddering breath, wiping his eyes, and nodded. "Thank you," he said, his voice breaking, shifting in his seat to hug Wilbur back.</p><p>Phil entered at that moment, and smiled to see the two men embracing. He nodded to himself, pleased, then turned and left.</p><p>-</p><p>Techno started to throw himself into the rebellion with much more enthusiasm, helping to recruit members and gather supplies and train newbies to fight with a sword. He especially liked meeting all of Wilbur's friends, who he had gathered together to help fight.</p><p>There was the Dream Team, Dream and George and Sapnap, who Techno had liked instantly. They were casual and funny, and skilled at fighting. Dream especially had incredible talent, and when Dream challenged Techno to a casual duel, it was the first time that Techno had felt that he might lose in a one-on-one. Luckily, he emerged victorious, but barely. He and Dream were still good friends.</p><p>Then there were Fundy and Eret, a baker and a stablemaster, who had been friends with Wilbur ever since he had moved to the city. They were cheerful and fun to hang around, although they weren't very good at combat.</p><p>Techno liked to just observe Bad and Skeppy from a distance, watching their dynamic friendship and how Skeppy constantly poked fun at Bad, but they still remained best friends. Techno had found Skeppy kind of annoying, though, and had been pleased when he flattened Skeppy in training in record time.</p><p>Finally, there were Schlatt and Quackity, the moneylender and the merchant, probably one of the richest duos out of all of Wilbur's friends apart from the Dream Team. They were pretty good at fighting, and they certainly caused some excitement when they first arrived.</p><p>Overall, Techno found that involving himself in the rebellion gave him a sense of purpose, and helped to solve the problem of his constant boredom. He loved training all the recruits, and planning for battle, and basically anything to do with combat. He felt normal for the first time in his life; not just a prince, but a leader of a rebellion, representing his people. He felt content among his friends.</p><p>But one night everything went wrong.</p><p>Techno was a light sleeper, and woke to the noise of creaking. He listened again for the noise, but when it didn't repeat itself, he dismissed it and settled back to sleep.</p><p>Then he heard the noise again, and he sat up, peering into the gloom of Wilbur's house. He saw a flash of movement outside the window, and he stiffened, rising to his feet and pulling out his sword. He stood defensively, ready for battle.</p><p>But he wasn't prepared to be knocked off his feet as a huge group of guards burst into the house from the back door.</p><p>Techno gave a shout, swinging his sword and blocking multiple blows, backed into a corner immediately. He desperately parried and blocked, screaming out for Wilbur to run, but it was too late; Techno watched with horror, helpless, as Wilbur was dragged kicking and screaming down the stairs and out the door.</p><p>Techno howled with rage and threw himself at the guards, desperately battling to reach Wilbur. He managed to force his way to the back door, but he was out of time. He watched with tears in his eyes as Wilbur was restrained and thrown in the back of a wagon.</p><p>Wilbur was still struggling and fighting, then he paused and stared in horror at something behind Techno. "HELP PHIL!" he yelled at Techno. The prince hesitated, still fighting off multiple guards.</p><p>"GO!" Wilbur yelled, and then the wagon drove off and Techno was left alone.</p><p>He stood frozen for a moment, devastated, before he regained his wits and barrelled through the guards out onto the street. He spotted a group of guards breaking their way into Phil's house, and he flew over and attacked the guards.</p><p>He heard screams and a thud come from upstairs, then Tubbo and Tommy were dragged down and thrown in the back of another wagon, tied up like Wilbur, and Phil was thrown in unconscious, with a large bump on his head.</p><p>Techno desperately tried to reach the wagon and help his friends, but there was nothing he could do. Tubbo watched him tearfully as the wagon drove off, and Techno was engulfed by more and more guards.</p><p>His distraught brain was struggling to work; where could he go? Nowhere…</p><p>George's house! It wasn't far from here.</p><p>Techno attacked the guards with a new vigour, then turned and jumped over the gate, sprinting off into the night. The soldiers shouted and gave chase, but Techno climbed up a tree and pulled himself onto a roof, watching as the soldiers passed by below, oblivious.</p><p>He was panting and nauseous and shaking, but at least he wasn't severely injured; he was only bleeding from some cuts and slices. He crawled across the rooftop silently, clambering down the other side and dropping into the alleyway. He peered out and hurried through the streets, tears falling from his eyes, until he reached the large house where George lived.</p><p>He knocked on the door, peering behind him to make sure nobody was watching, and waited impatiently until the door opened. A groggy George glared at him rubbing his eyes. "What?" he asked grumpily, and Techno threw himself inside and slammed the door shut, chest heaving.</p><p>George, startled, realised something was amiss. "What's wrong? Where's Wilbur?" George asked anxiously, and Techno gulped tears down. "The guards took him, they must have found out that he and Phil were the instigators somehow. They took him back up to the castle, and they're going to torture them and kill them, even Tubbo and Tommy, and it'll be all my fault-"</p><p>"It's not your fault!" George interrupted, crouching down beside Techno. "You can't just sit here and cry, right? We have to go and rescue them!"</p><p>Techno shook his head miserably. "They've been taken to the castle! I can't break in-"</p><p>"You escaped!"</p><p>"THAT'S DIFFERENT!"</p><p>There was silence for a moment, before George sat down beside Techno. "Doing something is better than doing nothing," he said quietly. "You've got to at least try, right?"</p><p>Techno glanced up at George, blinking and thinking it over in his mind. Surely saving his friends was impossible, and yet…George was right. If he stayed, there was no chance of rescuing them. If he went, there was at least a possibility. Plus, Techno would hate himself forever if he didn't at least try, tortured by the thought of what if.</p><p>He wiped his face and took a few deep breaths. "You're right," he answered, suddenly looking determined. "I can't just let them die."</p><p>"I think the time for a rebellion is tonight, don't you?" George asked, and Techno grinned back savagely and nodded. He rose to his feet, grabbing his sword and staring at the ground, thinking hard. "You go get Dream and Sapnap and everyone else; tell them to gather up the troops and ready them to storm the castle."</p><p>George looked taken aback. "Techno, you can't go to rescue Wilbur and those guys alone!" he argued, but Techno just looked at him with glittering eyes until he went quiet.</p><p>"Alright. Go, George! Hurry!" Techno said, turning and sprinting out the door. George followed him, heading to the stables and readying his horse. He pulled Techno up behind him on the saddle, and they galloped together through the wide streets until George reined his horse in next to the drawbridge to the castle.</p><p>"Go, Techno," George cried, and the prince slid off the horse and took off racing up the road. George rode off, shoulders hunched low to go even faster, disappearing out of sight.</p><p>Techno reached the wall, breathless, and easily scaled it. He crept up behind the guard in the tower and knocked him out with the hilt of his sword, silently and efficiently. He dragged the man into a cupboard and locked it, then climbed out of the window and crept across the bridge to the castle spire.</p><p>He swung himself in through a window, sneaking through the hallways. He didn't come across any guards until he rounded a corner in the East section and came face-to-face with two of them.</p><p>They gave a shout, rushing at him, but he parried and slashed at them, until they dropped to the floor, bleeding and moaning. He hurried onwards, secretly checking each room that he passed, until he reached stairs heading downwards at an intersection.</p><p>Techno recognised that this was the entrance to the dungeons, and felt like face-palming. Of course any prisoners would be in the dungeons! He should have checked here first!</p><p>He sighed and continued down the stairs quietly, alert for any sounds of approaching enemies. Finally, he reached the bottom of the staircase, and rounded the corner to see four guards chatting. He sucked in a breath and threw himself back around the corner, breathing hard and hoping they hadn't seen him.</p><p>After a minute or two, Techno peeked back out, scanning the room. The guards were laughing loudly and drinking and playing some sort of card game. Their swords were resting against the wall a little way away.</p><p>These seemed like pretty good odds to Techno.</p><p>He sauntered casually into the room, until he stood between the guards and their swords and they finally noticed him. One of them let out a cry, scrabbling at his scabbard, before realising that they had no weapons. Their faces dropped, and one by one they slowly raised their arms in the air.</p><p>Techno left the guards, trussed up and half-naked, stuffed inside a broom cupboard. He kicked the swords around a corner, then continued further into the dungeons. He passed many empty ones, until he suddenly heard sniffling and quiet murmuring.</p><p>He jolted, ecstatic to hear the voices of his friends, then sprinted to the next cell and peered inside. Phil was curled up with Tubbo against the back wall, and Tommy was pacing and muttering to himself. The blonde-haired boy glanced up when he heard Techno, and his face lit up.</p><p>"Techno!" he cried, pumping his arm in the air. He turned to a shocked Phil. "See?? I told you!"</p><p>Techno smirked, amused, then raised his sword and brought it down on the lock, hard. It shattered, and Tommy eagerly shoved it open and leapt out. Tubbo and Phil followed, Phil still wincing and looking a bit dizzy as Tubbo clung onto his hand.</p><p>Techno's heart dropped into his boots. "Where's Will?" he asked, not even realising that he'd used the man's nickname. Phil shook his head. "I don't know. They didn't put him with us. They took him off, down that way."</p><p>Phil pointed further down the hallway, and Techno nodded quickly. "I have to go and rescue him," he said anxiously.</p><p>"Go on, then. We'll be fine, promise. Do you know where we can find weapons?" Phil asked, and Techno nodded. "Up at the entrance to the dungeons there's a pile of swords and some tied up guards in a closet," he replied, and Phil stifled a grin. "Of course there is."</p><p>Techno, eager to keep moving, waved goodbye to his friends, then hurried onwards. He moved cautiously down the hall, until suddenly he heard a thump and Wilbur's scream echoed through the corridor.</p><p>Techno started sprinting, gritting his teeth at the agony in Wilbur's voice. He turned the corner to see Wilbur tied to the wall of a cell, a group of around 10 guards surrounding him. One of them was punching him repeatedly in the face, and bruises littered the blacksmith's face. Blood was splattered all over the floor, from half a dozen shallow cuts on the prisoner.</p><p>Fury swept through Techno at the sight of his friend being tortured. He let out a deafening roar and charged, swinging his sword in a deadly arc and taking out two guards in one go.</p><p>The rest of the guards started shouting and grabbing their weapons, rushing at Techno. Wilbur glanced up, eyes shifting in and out of focus, then slumped onto the floor in pain.</p><p>Techno side-stepped out of the way of one guard's sword, and pierced another guard's chest. He changed direction and overhand cut at a third guard, then brought his heel down on another guard's foot and smacked the hilt of his sword into the man's temple. Three soldiers slumped to  the floor around the prince.</p><p>Three guards rushed at Techno at once, but he merely stepped forwards and parried, sweeping their weapons aside and avoiding their blows to cut them down with ease. He turned to find a sword sweeping directly for his head, and he threw himself backwards and rolled, returning to his feet and vaulting forwards again to slam straight into a guard and topple the man to the floor, unconscious.</p><p>The final guard stood dumbfounded, staring at Techno in shock. The prince stepped forwards until their faces were inches apart, then spat, "Get away from my friend."</p><p>The guard nodded quickly and backed away, huddling in a corner. Techno rushed over to Wilbur and knelt down beside him gazing in horror at his ruined face and bleeding limbs.</p><p>"Will?" he asked anxiously, and the brown-haired man lifted his head wearily. "Hey Techno," he mumbled, blinking a few times. Techno quickly cut through the ropes tying Wilbur up, and helped his friend to his feet.</p><p>Wilbur swayed on the spot, stumbling into Techno and gripping onto his arm for support. "Where are the others?" Wilbur asked.</p><p>"They're fine, don't worry. I let them out of their cell and they escaped the dungeons," Techno replied, half-carrying, half-dragging Wilbur out of the cell and back down the hallway. Wilbur's head lolled to the side and he continued to breathe shallowly, resting against his friend.</p><p>Techno brought Wilbur up the steps and out of the dungeon, through the castle and out the front doors. Miraculously, no guards came to stop them.</p><p>Techno and Wilbur limped out through the gates, then stopped short in shock.</p><p>The entire town was covered in townspeople fighting with guards and tyrants.</p><p>Techno gazed in wonder at his people, at them fighting back against the tyrants and trusting him to care for his kingdom. He felt a tear slide down his face, and he sniffed. "Wow," he murmured. "They believe in me."</p><p>"Yeah they do, buddy," Wilbur grinned, still leaning fully against Techno. He shoved the prince away, wincing as he supported his own weight. "Now go make them proud."</p><p>Techno shot his friend a grin, then turned and stared out at his kingdom. He raised his sword above his head and let out a deafening war cry, streaking down the hill and smashing into the hordes of fighting people. His sword swept out and brought down soldier after soldier, and he forced his way through the crowd until he found Dream, George and Sapnap, fighting fiercely. "Techno!" Sapnap yelled gleefully, ducking to avoid a blow and diving at a guard's feet to take him out.</p><p>Techno grinned at them, covered in blood, and raised his sword once more.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. At Last</h2></a>
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    <p>The battle was over. The soldiers and tyrants were all either dead, injured or imprisoned, and only the leader of the tyrants remained.</p><p>He knelt in front of Techno, scowling furiously at the prince, hands and ankles tied so he couldn't move. He knelt on the dais of the castle throne room, as Techno stood in front of him. A crowd gathered around them, and Techno caught the eye of Wilbur and smiled confidently.</p><p>He turned back to the leader, the man who had killed his father and tried to destroy his kingdom, and he lifted his chin up high. He raised his sword above his head and drew in a deep breath.</p><p>"TECHNOBLADE NEVA DIES!"</p><p>The crowd burst into cheers as the enemy collapsed on the floor, dead. Wilbur rushed forwards, carrying the golden crown that Techno's father had worn, and placed it reverently on the prince- no, the king's head. Techno felt his spirit lift with joy and relief as he gazed out at his people and his kingdom.</p><p>At last.</p>
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